Honda Recalls 330,000 Vehicles for Side Mirrors That Fall Off
If given the opportunity, most automakers would gladly eliminate side-view mirrors from their vehicles. Side-view mirrors not only disrupt the car's aesthetic appeal but also create significant aerodynamic drag, adversely impacting the range of electric vehicles. In recent years, companies have been exploring alternatives such as camera systems to replace traditional side-view mirrors. but it seems Honda took a different approach to get rid of those unsightly bumps: Building mirrors that just fall off.
Not the whole housing, mind you, but certain Odyssey, Passport, Pilot, and Ridgeline vehicles built between 2020 and 2021 may lose the reflective glass from their side-view mirrors. Honda has figured out the cause of the problem and has now issued a recall for 330,000 of the crossovers and pickups.
The core of the problem rests with the heating elements built into the car’s side-view mirrors. According to Honda’s recall filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, that element’s adhesive can fail, leaving it to fall from its backing — and take the mirror’s reflective surface glass with it. The vehicles Honda lists as affected are:
2020-2021 Honda Pilot
2020-2022 Honda Passport
2020-2021 Honda Ridgeline
2020-2022 Honda Odyssey
Honda claims the bonding issue was addressed on July 23, 2021, when its mirror heater supplier changed its adhesives, and that current cars are safe from the issue. Owners of earlier Pilots, Passports, Ridgelines, and Odysseys will receive a notification in the mail early next month, but you can always check our guide to dealing with manufacturer recalls seeing if your car’s affected before the letter goes out. You can also head to NHTSA’s recalls page and enter your car’s VIN to check if it’s affected by the plague of spontaneous and unintended mirror removal.
